The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-07-27
WHITE HOUSE DINNERS.
HOW THEY ARE PREPARED BY THE
STEWARD OF THE HOUSEHOLD

Management of an Entertainment out
side of the Established Routine of tn
Presidential HousehoId-How the Vari
Bills Are Paid.
The original organic act of the executive
establishment. dating back almost a century
In designating the personnel of what wa
known as the official household of the presi
dent" created the Office of Steward of tb,
household" The officer holding that plac,
was by law intrusted with the custody Of thu
plate and care of the furniture and effects oil
the United States kept IN the executive man
sion for the use OF the president. He was re
quired to give bonds for the faithful per
/ Torrance Of his trust. He also had charge Of
the personal servants of the president made
| all purchases for the presidents table, and
( performed such other duties within the circle
Of the domestic life of the president as might
be assigned him
| When Washington inaugurated his Official
| household in New York under the act OF
1873, he made Samuel Faunce, a local celeb
| rlty as landlord and caterer the steward
/ OF bis household Faunce during a portion
| of the period of the Revolutionary war had
been landlord Of the City tavern, a favorite
! resort for officers Of the English forces during
/ their occupancy of the city, and of the Amer
lean officers when the city passed into their
/ hands after peace. It was at the City tavern
| when Faunce was still It's landlord, that
! Washington and the officers of his disbandcd
army met, and where the generalil-chicf of
the continental forces took an affecting leave
before his departure for his home at Mount
Vernon. There has been a steward of tho
presidents househOId' ever since. but the in
cuubent Of the Office has been changed as
often as there have been presidents. 1t is
natural that every president should desire so
important and close position in his own per-
sonal household to be filed by some one pre-
viously known to him.
GROVER CLEvELASD's STEWARD.
When Grover Cleveland established him
self in the executive mansion in March. 1855.
he appointed William 7. Sinclair, of Buffalo,
steward of the household Sinclair beran
life by assisting his father in the care Of pub
lie buildings in the Queen City Of the Lakes.
1t was in this capacity twenty wears AGO.
while having the care of the Western Union
building, in which were the law Offices Of the
Cleveland firm, that he first met that member
OF it who is now president Of the United
States. Since that time Sinclair tried the
hotel business at Niagara Falls, which was
not success. He spent some time on the
lakes and in hotels connected with the stew
ards department. Later he was porter for.
the United States Express company, and last
IN the same capacity for the Bank of Com
merce. The fidelity and trustworthiness of
Sinclair had come under Mr. Cleveland's
notice. When elected to the governorship of
New York he secured his services and made
him steward of the executive mansion at Al
bany In March, 1885, he brought him to
Washington
When the president proposes to give a state
dinner or any other entertainment outside of |
the established routine of the household he in
dictates the fact, designating the number Of |
guests to be invited and the hour for the din /
ner. A menu suitable to the occasion Is pre-
pared by the steward in consultation with the (
chef, the latter arranging the courses, OF /
what to consist and the quantity of the raw /
material required. From this list the steward /
makes his purchases. The articles are deliv- /
cred 70 the chef and the menu prepared. The |
table Is spread in the same way. The steward |
with his assistants, arranges the plates and |
glasses tor the number of guests to be enter
tanned. The chef indicates the position of
his decorative pieces The florist is then
called in TO add the final touches Of floral
decoration To arrange a table for a state
occasion and to give it novelty is a work Of
genius. The great feature of the official din
ing, next TO the menus, Of the past season
was the variety, taste and elegance of the
table equipment and decoration. The social
lunches given by Mrs Cleveland to her lady
friends were also chef d'oeuvers in their way.
ROUTINE OF THE HOUSEHOLD.
The usual daily routine Of the household Is
breakfast at 3, luncheon at l 30. and dinner
at :. State dinners are usually announced
for 73O pm. The serving of a state dinner
Is in courses By ten to twelve experienced
co ored walters in full dress. The additional
number not permanently in the Mansion are /
taken from outside, but are regularly err
Doyed for such occasions on account of their
training in this special service.
There is a mistaken notion that a large
share of the Official entertaining is raid for
but Of a contingency fund provided for the
purpose. This Is u mistake. Oalv the
steward Of the household" the florist door
keepers ushers. walters, laborars and metro
ooltaus, the furnishing, heating and E-htiu1
# the mansion and maintenance OF the con
servatories are paid for out Of funds anpro-
7riated- Out of his salary of $4,000 year
he president pays for bis chef and assistants.
or all his ofinial and unofficial table and the
emale domestics in the private parts of the
mansion He also pays out of bis own pocket
or his private cOaChmau. fCotulen and stable ;
nen and the care Of his private horses. It is
small business for great nation but such
ire the drains upon the annual stipend al
owed the president out Of tie public trea-
ury. The state dinners are as much part
Il the pTopTieties ot his high puGIic station Is
orps. the congress. the judiciary the army
nd the navy. md the sovereign public And
irelictiOn on his part in this respect would
e heralded far and wide as an official mis-.
emeanOr Even as it is murmurs are often
card among those not reached III the order
+ presidency OF Importance for a chance TO
oke their legs under the presidential mahog-
ny and show their familiarity with polite
ming by putting sugar and cream IN the
i1y fy-ir7 T-s I
used by their Wis a Wis of eating the bououet
, drinking the water in the finger bowls for
and offending polioeness by pro
ouncing 1t, in the pa. Iiamentary language
{ the house, 'CI---d weak"
The executive mansion is not gu official
osteIry, and as the president pays for his
wn dinners, official and otherwise, he i
atitled TO the inalienable right Of any other
-tizen in selecting his own guests, even re-
trained as he is by the proPTieties Of supreme
Ank-W ashington Cor. Philadelphia Times